A firefighter falls in love with a woman he met in a bar...because his friends bet him he wouldn't ask out the most unattractive woman in the place.

ASHER I wasn't looking for love. I was looking for power. A wife is not romance in my world. She's leverage. Blood ties. Contracts sealed with rings instead of ink. When Carson begged for protection and money, offering his daughters like bargaining chips, I expected to be bored. Elisa. Eighteen. Italian. Five-foot-five of something breakable. And I wanted her. Not because she was the most beautiful - though she was. Not because she would make the best alliance - though she would. I wanted her because she looked at me like I was something terrifying... and still didn't run. I have built an empire with blood. Men fear me. Enemies whisper my name. I take what I want. And I wanted her. She is everything I am not - light where I am darkness, gentle where I am ruthless. I thought she would bend. I thought she would obey. I did not expect to fall. But the mafia monster is learning something dangerous- Even monsters can love. ⸻ ELISA Papa said this was an honor. He said I should smile. Be grateful. Be obedient. And then there was him. Asher Ivanov. Six-foot-four. Broad shoulders. Dark hair with blonde streaks. Brown eyes that looked like they'd seen too much. And dimples that didn't match the rest of him at all. I was the youngest. The quietest. The one who still believed marriage meant something soft and safe. But when he chose me, there was no softness in his voice. He didn't ask. He took. I was afraid of him. Of the way he moves like he owns every room. Of the way men step aside when he walks. Of the darkness that clings to him like a shadow. And yet... When he looks at me, sometimes there's something else there. Something almost careful. Almost gentle. He is cold. I am warm. He is a storm. I am a flower. But storms don't always destroy flowers. Sometimes... they protect them. And somewhere between fear and fate, I started falling in love with the monster who chose me.

"K-Kane!" she gasped, her hands instinctively landing on his shoulders. He smirked. "What?" Her cheeks were flushed, her breathing uneven. "Stop that." His hands slid over her waist, securing her in place. "Why?" She swallowed hard, eyes darting away. "You're making my heart beat too fast." Kane took her small hand and placed it against his chest. His heart was pounding just as violently as hers. "Like mine?" he asked, voice lower, more intense. By day, Kane is a tech billionaire, dominating boardrooms with his sharp mind and icy demeanor. By night, he's a ruthless underground boxer, unleashing his demons with every brutal punch. No one gets close-until Mona. She's small, shy, and too damn sweet for his world. With fiery red hair and innocent green eyes, she's the only softness he's ever known. But behind her hesitant smiles lies a dark past, one that haunts her in nightmares she refuses to talk about. When a storm forces her to stay the night, lines blur. One kiss turns into obsession. One secret could destroy them both. Can Kane protect her from the past she won't reveal-or will his own darkness consume them first? * I DO NOT OWN THE PICTURE *

Nearly eighteen years have passed since Willow was allowed to simply exist. Raised in locked rooms and silence, she learned rules without ever being told they were wrong-so she steps into freedom bright-eyed and reckless, all summer dresses and soft wonder, finding joy in everything the world kept from her. Willow is sunshine with sharp edges: independent, curious, too kind for her own safety... and still unaware that what she survived was abuse until someone shows her what choice actually feels like. Byron Ferrari isn't that someone because he's gentle. He's twenty-four, a billionaire built from old money, grief and discipline, running a ruthless security empire and a stricter life. Control is how he breathes. Anxiety is how he loves. He doesn't want to cage Willow, he wants to keep her close because losing people is the only thing he's ever been good at. Byron is forced to learn the difference between protection and possession all while unintentionally turning her into a spoiled brat who craves his attention and affection. Willow walked into his immaculate kitchen, barefoot, carrying a fistful of wildflowers like contraband. Byron stared at the mud. Then at her. "Absolutely not." She smiled, radiant. 'Absolutely yes.' She signed. Ten minutes later, Byron was on his knees, gently cleaning the soles of her feet while she hummed. Tropes: Sunshine x Grumpy • Morally Grey Protector • He Falls First • Found Family • Touch-Consent • Fast paced • Lake House / Summer Vibes • Chosen Autonomy • spoiled MFC #1 sunshine #1 soft #1 old money #1 spoiled

What happens when the King of the Fae finds his True Queen...and rejects her? Oberon (Burr) Hughes was raised knowing he was to become King of the Fae. His stunning good looks, abilities, and wealth as well as the magic he held in himself naturally drew people to him. Daisy Carmichael was the complete opposite of Burr -- poor and plain looking. From the time she'd turned 15, she'd been in love with Burr, her best friend's older brother. Burr always imagined the woman he'd end up with would be stunning and elegant. Daisy was neither, so why was he drawn to her? After rejecting her as unworthy of being his True Queen, Burr realizes a few truths about his life. And instead of Daisy undergoing a transformation, this is the story of Burr's transformation into someone worthy of his queen.

In the frozen wilds of Midnight Peaks, a broken rogue omega named Josie - scarred by rejection, assault, and years surviving alone - stumbles into the territory of the feared and respected Alpha Dominic. He should kill her on sight. What starts as captivity and raw terror slowly becomes the only safety Josie has ever known. Dominic, haunted by his own darkness, fights every instinct to become the mate she deserves - gentle when she needs it, feral when anyone dares threaten her. But the past isn't done with them. Old enemies resurface. A rival female schemes from within. And when Josie's greatest nightmare returns, Dom will burn the world to ash to keep his little wolf. A dark, primal, deeply emotional werewolf romance about healing the deepest wounds, reclaiming power, and discovering that the scariest monster can have the softest heart.

The first rule of the Ricci estate was simple. DO NOT LOOK AT THE CAPO! Dalia broke it the moment his shadow filled the doorway. She had felt him before she saw him. The shift in the air. The quiet fear that crept up her spine and settled between her shoulders like a warning. Men like Lucien Ricci did not announce themselves. They were sensed. Felt. Endured. Everyone said he was ruthless. That his hands were stained with blood and power in equal measure. That once you belonged to him, you never truly left. Dalia had never planned to belong to anyone. She was just a maid. Quiet. Invisible. A girl with dreams tucked away where no one could touch them. Until his eyes landed on her and did not look away. Until his voice said her name like it tasted good. Until one command changed everything. There was a moment, later, when she would understand that it had never been about choice. That desire had teeth. That power could be intoxicating when it wanted you back. Lucien Ricci did not chase. He waited. And when Dalia knelt at the edge of his world, trembling but willing, he knew exactly what he would do. He would ruin her carefully. He would claim her completely. And she would never be the same girl who walked into his room again.

The marriage was decided in a room that smelled of smoke, blood, and old money. She was never asked. To the world beyond the locked gates, the two brothers were monsters-names whispered in fear, kings of an underworld built on extortion, bodies, and silence. The elder brother ruled with a mind like a blade: sharp, cold, precise. He calculated lives the way others counted coins, and mercy was a language he never learned. The younger brother was worse in a different way-raised without softness, trained without restraint. A beast shaped into human form, a killing machine who understood commands better than emotions. She had never seen the outside world. Never felt sunlight without bars between her and the sky. Her life had been a narrow corridor of obedience and bruises, raised by family who taught her silence before speech and pain before hope. She learned early that surviving meant enduring, that breathing quietly was safer than breathing freely. As mentioned the credits: the pictures used in this are not mine and it's right to its respectful owners.

Arianna Rossi, was no stranger to violence. After all she was the daughter of the mighty Lorenzo Rossi, head of the Southern Italian Mafia. Her dad had always kept her away from the bloodshed but she wasn't stupid. She always knew about her father's illegal business. She always knew of the armament and drug deals but what she had no idea about was, what destiny had planned for her when she was forcefully married to the man her father choose for her without her knowledge. Dario De Luca, was the powerful heir to the throne of the Northern Italian Mafia. His only quest was power. He was a murderous monster who was famous for being the most heartless, unforgiving and ruthless person to ever live. He knew how to conquer his fears and bring his enemies down to their knees. What he never imagined was to stand at the end of the aisle waiting for a woman to get married to, because he was more than happy with his current bachelor life. He had no idea what destiny had planned for him when he agreed to marry an innocent girl in order to merge his mafia with another thriving one, to gain more power. She's innocent, He's a monster. She's loving, He's heartless. She's a flower, He's a gun. She falls for him, But so does he. Join Mr. and Mrs. De Luca as they invite you to an adventure filled with tears, romance, threats and longing. ⚜️ "Mia moglie innocente, I don't know who the fuck were you talking to, but you're not gonna cheat on me." With that he snaked his arm around my waist, suddenly pulling me to his hard chest and crashed his lips on mine. (My innocent wife)

(Can be read as a standalone.) My parents are hell bent on getting me married, convinced that a wife will magically "fix" me. As a mafia leader, idle talks and constant affection makes no sense to me. Never had and never will. Thanks to some dumb rule and my parents' constant nagging, I settle down with the girl of their choice. Irene's the type of girl I would never give a second glance to, the type I would deem average looking. And that's just not it. She's a chatter box who can't survive without physical affection. A complete opposite of me. I never had a need for a wife but with every innocent touch, every stupid smile, every word of hers my walls break down until I am left yearning for her with an intensity I can't even comprehend.